Prominent pharmacy owner
Terry White
wants pharmacists to be allowed to receive Medicare rebates from the government for providing healthcare.

The chairman of Terry White ­Chemists said pharmacists were underutilised and could take on a greater share of healthcare services to reduce the burden on government.

He said the falling price of medicines subsidised by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme was reducing the profitability of pharmacies. At the same time, many people were turning to pharmacists for services such as vaccinations.

The industry was providing increased access to professional and preventative health services “but cannot be expected to bear the ongoing costs of doing so", he told the chain’s conference on the Gold Coast. “Providing Medicare rebates. . . would deliver improved health outcomes by increasing uptake of preventive health checks, screenings and management for conditions like diabetes."

Health Minister
Peter Dutton
was in the audience. A spokeswoman for him said the government was “determined to make community pharmacy viable, but we are not proposing any changes" to the Medicare Benefits Schedule.

Some pharmacists administer influenza vaccines. Groups of patients, such as older people and pregnant women, are offered the influenza vaccine for free, but must pay consultation fees.

If a doctor gives a flu shot, the patient can claim a Medicare rebate on the fee. The rebate is not paid for vaccine shots from pharmacists.

In a recent report aimed at reducing shortages of GPs in rural and remote areas, the Grattan Institute’s
Stephen Duckett
and Peter Breadon said a “first step" was making better use of pharmacists’ skills.

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They argued many visits to GPs are straightforward: at least 4 million visits annually simply deal with issuing repeats of prescriptions.

“Their expertise is most needed when cases are complex and challenging," the authors wrote.

The pair said the cost of subsiding pharmacists through Medicare to approve repeats of prescription drugs, administer vaccines and collaborate with GPs in the management of chronic disease in the seven worst affected rural and remote areas would cost $4 million annually. The greater utilisation of pharmacists came with suggested restrictions to ensure ongoing patient safety and no financial conflicts of interest.

On Monday, Mr Duckett said the report focused on rural and remote areas because there are “real consequences" of limited access to GPs, but the issue might not be so pressing in affluent city suburbs. “We think that the cost is clearly worth it in those [remote] areas," Mr Duckett said. “If you were going to look at it wider, you would have to say there is an issue of cost and ask what are the precise benefits."

Mr Duckett added there was “plenty of evidence overseas" that pharmacists were taking on a greater role in healthcare in a way that is safe and acceptable to patients.

Australian Medical Association president Steve Hambleton, who represents the interests of doctors, said healthcare providers should work “within their levels of expertise".

Mr Hambleton said re-prescribing medicine was a “distinct skill set, which requires specific background training". He said that for some drugs, doctors are already able to prescribe medicine for up to one year, with 11 repeats.